THE fans sang, 'What a load of rubbish!' as they grew increasingly frustrated with their team not being able to get a grip on the game.

But like so many things that have changed in the last seven days, it was the opposition supporters who were having a go at their own players rather than a disenchanted Sky Blue Army.

In fact, the contrast could not have been greater as the vocal band of Coventry followers thor-oughly enjoyed their day out at Carrow Road.

There were plenty of smiles on their faces after seeing another workman-like performance from their revitalised side who appeared to be heading for the full three points until old boy Darren Huckerby wore down their tiring legs to set up Chris Martin's equaliser nine minutes from time.

It cancelled Jay Tabb's first goal for Coventry, taken well after receiving a neat ball in the box from Dele Adebola towards the end of an impressive first half that saw City control the game once they had weathered a difficult opening 10 minutes, during which Andy Marshall made a key save to deny the touchline hugging Huckerby.

But it was towards the end of the game that the goalkeeper came to the fore as his former club gained momentum and threatened to spoil Iain Dowie's unbeaten record in his new job.

The 31-year-old started his career with the Canaries but fell foul of the fans when he defected to arch rivals Ipswich Town on a free transfer in 2001, just after winning the supporters' player of the year award.

For that, they appear unable to forgive him and the stick he received was unrelenting in the first 45 minutes in particular, with his back to the hardcore home fans.

Some even went so far as to wish a dreadful fate upon him, but Marshall is made of sterner stuff and simply used their taunts to his advantage.

"I think it is easing each year and the first time I came back it was much worse," he joked.

"When Norwich came up to us I even had a little bit of banter with some of the fans so maybe I am winning them round.

"Give it another 15-20 years I might be all right."

But Marshall's record against his old club is uncanny.

"I have done well against them over the years and I wouldn't so much say I give it any more than any other game, but something does seem to happen and I seem to come out on top," he said.

"I saved a penalty against them last year and made a couple of decent saves again this time, so it is pleasing.

"I know I get a lot of stick when I come here but I do enjoy it.

"I have got a big affection for the club because I was here for 16 years from a kid.

"It is disappointing the way some of the fans are but I accept it, get on with it, and even relish it to be honest, in a way.

"It is a shame that we don't see eye to eye but that's football and you don't always have friends in football."

Of the two later stops, one to deny Huckerby and the other Martin, he added: "One save took a deflection off Andy Whing who, prior to that, put two blocks in against him, so it was fortunate that it dipped over and I was able to make the save.

"But I saved one earlier from Martin which I felt was the best save because it was a harder one and on a skiddy surface coming through bodies, and he tried to do me with his eyes by looking at the far corner."

Unfortunately for Marshall, however, there was little he could do to stop the teenager scoring his second senior goal after Whing and Colin Hawkins failed to deal with Huckerby's pace, allowing him to feed the precocious talent.

But Dowie took some of the responsibility for his players giving up their slender lead, admitting that he had deliberately worked them too hard in his first week in a bid to get them up to his required fitness levels.

However, overall, City played with plenty of confidence and passed the ball about well to retain possession for large periods, bar the tail end of the game when they struggled to keep hold of it in the final third, resulting in them being forced back to defend in numbers as Norwich piled on the pressure.

Kevin Kyle and Adebola were a handful once again, while Michael Doyle and Stephen Hughes controlled the midfield well until Youssef Safri and Paul McVeigh went on and turned the game back in the Canaries' favour.

But as disappointing as dropping two points was, the Sky Blue fans left content in the knowledge that their team had given their all again during an afternoon of good spirits and humour from the visitors' terrace at least, which produced such gems as 'Come on, let's be 'avin' you!" when the home support were at their most vitriolic.